Creating a Tessellation in Paint
A tessellation is a pattern or design created by the repetition on 1 or more congruent shapes without gaps or overlaps.

Tessellations #1	Tessellations #2	Tessellations #3	Tessellations #4
Can you tell which geometric shapes were used to create each design? Tessellation #1:         Tessellation #2: Tessellation #3:         Tessellation #4:

Name	Sides
Triangle	3
Quadrilateral	4
Pentagon	5
Hexagon	6
Heptagon	7
Octagon	8
Nonagon	9
Decagon	10
Hendecagon	11
Dodecagon	12

 

Activity # 1: You can make great tessellations in Paint using just one geometric shape (a square). "Cut" a piece from one side of your square and "paste" it on the opposite side. That is called a slide, or translation.

 

 

Activity #2:  "Cut" a piece from one side of your square, but before you "paste" it on the opposite side, you flip it horizontally. That is called a reflection, or flip. The next shape will also have to be flipped in order to fit.

 

Activity #3:  "Cut" a piece from one side of your square, but before you "paste" it on the opposite side, you rotate it 270 degrees. That is called a rotation. The next shape will have to be rotated 180 degrees in order to fit, and the next piece will have to be rotated 90 degrees.